A new poll suggests most parents want teachers to notify them if their child wishes to change their name or pronouns at school.
On the day protests for and against so-called parental rights are playing out across Canada, a new survey by Angus Reid sheds light on where Canadians stand.
The results suggest that 78 per cent of Canadians think teachers should tell parents. Only 14 per cent believe teachers should keep that information confidential, while 8 per cent weren't sure or couldn't say.
On the issue of hormone therapy, one in five participants strongly agree children under 18 should have access to those treatments, while 63 per cent believe it's a bad idea.
Those who oppose mandating teachers inform parents believe it could put transgender youth at risk of violence or rejection in the home. However, the survey suggests most Canadians would react positively should their child confess they want to change their identity.
Sixty-nine per cent of respondents said they would either enthusiastically or cautiously accept their child's gender identity. Only 18 per cent believe they would resist or outright reject it.
Canadians, for the most part, said transgender people face more discrimination. A total of 71 per cent felt that way compared to 19 per cent who didn't think so. As for whether acceptance of those who identify outside the binary of male and female, 64 per cent believe it's a sign of social progress, and 28 per cent disagreed.
Asked what defines a woman, a third said anyone who wishes to, almost as many said only those born with female genitalia, and 14 per cent accepted those who had surgery as women.
The pollster surveyed 3,016 members of its Angus Reid Forum between July 26 and July 31, and the results are considered accurate +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.